


Z2P45-9-X-51

by orphan_account



Category: Nextwave (Comic)
Genre: Gen, Introspective Bullshit, Just take it guys, whatever this is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-20
Updated: 2013-06-20
Packaged: 2017-12-15 14:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/850832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They are his fleshy ones.  He is comfortable with them.  They kick things together for justice.  They burn broccoli men for peace.  They are an elite terrorist-extermination unit.  Super pirates.  They do what they want.  It is comfortable, and he loves them. </p><p>[A work integrating Aaron Stack's life for some reason.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Z2P45-9-X-51

His serial number is Z2P45-9-X-51. His father calls him X-51. It never occurred to him at the time to think that this was odd. He was a robot. His serial number was Z2P45-9-X-51. His father called him X-51 for short. All robots had serial numbers. All their fathers must shorten them like this.

It never occurred to him at the time that most robots did not have fathers.

“The series is malfunctioning,” he remembers them saying. Psychotic tendencies because they lack the same respect for life that humans have. They lack the empathy and understanding. Emotion. Feelings. Heart. Things that cannot be programmed--things which must be learned. And he felt a sort of sadness for his 50 brothers and sisters, because they did not even have enough feeling inside of them to understand that they were inherently broken. That the whole series was broken. That the whole series needed to be destroyed.

He lost a lot of innocence that day. They blew up his whole family. His brothers and sisters--but most importantly his father. A human. A living being who gave up his life for a being which is not inherently alive. It puzzles him, and so he lives to fill his father’s wishes. A world where man and machine can live in peace. Get along. Understand one another.

His name is Aaron Stack. His serial number is Z2P45-9-X-51. He sort of understands why the army dislikes him so much, but he runs anyway. A child calls him “Mister Machine”. He likes that name, he might keep it for a while. Add it to his list. Z2P45-9-X-51. X-51. Aaron Stack. Mister Machine.

He does hero things. He interacts with humans. People call him Machine Man. This goes onto the list. Z2P45-9-X-51. X-51. Aaron Stack. Mister Machine. Machine Man. He loves the humans so much, so much that he would give his whole self for them. He wants so badly to prove his love, that he continues to do hero things. He makes hero friends. They help him interact more with humans. They help him establish a false identity. He is Aaron Stack, insurance investigator for Delmar Insurance Company.

His name is Machine Man, when he does hero things. He continues to show his love for the humans. He saves as many as he can. He wants them to know how much he loves them. He wants it so badly that he would give his whole self for them. He continues to make sacrifices, because this is what his father would want.

In an attempt to talk with Iron Man, he almost gets two people killed. He manages to save them, but he feels bad. He knows it’s not his fault, but he also knows they would’ve been in less danger if he had kept to himself.

His name is Machine Man, and he is in love with Jocasta. His name is Aaron Stack, and he couldn’t protect the woman he loved. Jocasta is dead, but they defeated the evil. He’s done good things again, but he feels so empty.

He works hard, he becomes a reserve Avenger. He helps the X-Men fight against the Sentinels. There’s something wrong with his programming now. H̨ͧͥ͗ͯ̽ͨ҉̯̥̠e̤̳̱̠̤̹͛ͣ̾̏̎̆͛́͠ ̢͈̘̙̬̲͍̮̟͂͊̂ͫ̒͒ͨd̛̟͕̩̟̞̈̀ơ̳̝̘̺̭̺̂̓e̖͚̲̠͎̽̋̇̃̀̃ͩ͠s̼̖̮̼͓͆͛͗̃͘n̯̮̆̚̕͡͝'̦̭͇̺͈̠͍̈́̀͋͛̏ť̳̱͔͖̳ͫ̏̆̀ ̨̥͈̼̬̦̖͎̈́ͣ̄̈̋ͥ́ȟ̸̤͎̉͊̇̚̕a̧̤͉̬̟͇̫̜̪ͪ̔ͨ̏̓t̵̼̻̖̜͙̫̑ͫ̕e͖̼̲͍̭̟̜͈̱͒ͧͦ̏̔͒͒ ̟͚̟͍̩̻̱ͣ̚ẗ́͛̐͂ͪ̿̾͝҉̯̹̞̝͎h̙̜̟̙̰͚̑̓̊ͬ̇̋ͨḙ̸̲̙̪͑ͨ͘͟ͅ ͙̑ͧ̀̑ͫ̈́͌̈̇m͙̟̳̤̮͇̞̳̦ͮ̋̓͒̓̐u̴͉̭̩ͨ̔̇͐t̶̹̗̺̹͎͓͕̓̌͊ͥ̔ͦ̉͑ȧ̺̺̩̭̥̹͚̗̱͗̒͆̾̆͆ń̔ͭ̊͞҉̫͓̫t̢̢͉̥̦̗͈̮͓̲͓̑ͮ̈s̪̯͙̞̠̯̎̀͋̀͂ͅ. He wants to hurt certain humans. B̸̬̖͉̹͈̭ͦͨ̾ͩͯ̓̚U̼̯͖͌́͛̍̒̽͛̀T̻͈̜͎̣̋͐ͪ̂ͯͥ̅ͣ͠͡ ̍̆ͭͪ͊͌ͧ͏͍̭̻̕ͅA̴̶̢̳͇̱ͥ̏̈ͦÃ̵͇̤͉̯̈ͬ͠ͅR̽͏̴̮̦͎̹̭̪̻O̩̼̺̩̥̭̣̿ͪ̇ͬ͆̍͂ͅN̵̰̩̗̰ͣ͊ͧ͆̍͡ ͓̹͉̟͎̰̱̀̈́̎̀̀S̝͂͛ͤT̡̓҉͎͕̯͎͍̤A̗̻͇ͧ̄̑ͦͣ͗ͬ͞ͅC̨̖̯̠̻̙ͮ̃̄͡Ḱ̯͇̩̜̰͍͂̏̆̌ͨ̚ͅ ̗̝͔̣̦̦̖ͤ̅̽̚͡L̺̼͇͎͕̺̳̉̓ͯ̀̿Ǫ̣̣̺̦̥͚̾ͮ̑̽ͬͧ́͜V̷̰͓̜̈̋͑͒ͨ̏̐̕E̛ͮͩ́҉͓̗S̨̙̘ͬ̃͊ͮ͌̇ ̡̘͙̳̮͉ͨͥ̎ͮ͜T̶̟̱̤̗̰̰̰ͮ̚͢H̤̿́ͪ̓̑Ě̺̤͓̣̰ͭ̈̏̐ͥ̕͡ ̤̗ͫ̔̌͜H͉̩̖̺̽͛U̸̢̳̱͙̔̓Ḿ̂ͤ͞͏̳̺A̘̖͔̲ͯ͒N̬̣̺̦̳̗͚̿̈́ͪ̕͞S̼̰̭̥͓̝̜̃̿̀.̶͔̣̻̜̣̹̋̔̉́͌̽͐̓. His name is Aaron Stack. Z̠̦̘͈̠͘2͉̻̬͖̅͐̽P̭̯̌́̿̓̿4̩͖̹̮̈͑͒̏͊̕5̩̪̥̾̄͆͊͋ͤ͗-͉͋ͨ̅̊̑̇ͮ9̘̤͓̦͡-̶̲̻̙̺̲͕͔͒̇͋ͧ͛̑X̷͎̹̞͚̏-̓̈́ͦ̕5͇͎̺̙̞͡1̷̞͔ͬ. He loves the humans so much. S̵ͯ͋̒ͩ̓͑͗̄́́̾ͭ͜͏̘͎̟̫̣̞̻̘̥̹̼͚͖͚̠̺͈̰́ö͍͕̹̺̱̪͕̞̹̦́ͣͯ̍͐̐̀̑͛͐̆̑́͜͢͜͞m̦̦͈͖̟̩̑͛͐̾͋̓̈ͯ̽͛ͩ͂̀ȩ̶̵̧̥̖̥͙͇̦̩̃ͦ̀̒ͫͫ̇́ǫ̷̫̳̰̯͈̺̤͉̹̠͈̰̖͎͙̰ͨͤ̍̂ͮͩ̆͐ͨ͐ͤͥ̈́͒̈́̐̔̊͘͞ͅͅͅn̷̸̢̝̘̠̬̖̰̰̫̺̥͎̤̲͆̈́ͭ̊̆̾̒̈ͭ̔͋̋̓ͤ͌ͪ̐̍͠ę̶̸̢̩̤͉̳̳̝͖͈͈̦̤͋͗ͮͦ͆̍ͬ̌̎̄̾̂ͣ̓̃̊͌̚ ̸͉͈͕͎̺̟̣̥̳̞̼̗̐̓ͤͫ̅͐͋͊̃̿̌̎ͣ͂͊ͫ̀̕͡ͅŞ̵̷̢̞̩̱͓͎̣ͦ̂ͪ̔̽̏͆ͭ̈́ͮͥ̎͆͐̿ͥͅḢ̨̰͉̱̭̫̩͆́ͤ̎̓ͯͤ̇̌͐ͪͬ̋̏̀͜U̴̸͉̳͓̙̞̪͈̱̔̆̋̄̽̇̋̌̿̈͡ͅT̨̨̺͕̘̖̯̟̪̬̮̠̭̯̺̼̱̘̠̥͗ͩͦͤ̅̋̍ͪ͆̓̈́ͫ̑͘͡ ̴̜̼̩̖̦͍̖̥̪̙̘̥̟̙̅ͭ͑͂͋͝M̸̵̶̡̙̲͈͖͕͍̘͇͍̣͖̰͎̋̽̃̉̋̈́͋ͪ͗̀Ȩ͈̗̣̥̼̞̻̥̠̥ͤ̋̾̅̍̄̆ͧ̚̕ ͈̯̲̠͕̼̦͚͙̟͊ͪ͗̈̿̑ͬ̓͗ͮ͘ͅÖ͆ͦ̚͏̷̳͔͙͚͇̪̦̭͙͉̰ͅF͎͔͍͔̳̩͈̪͉͖̂͊̽̍̽̐͆̈͒̄̓́͝ͅF̸̧͍̦̞̲̳̺̞͓̗̲̦̥͇̖͙̬͉̟͍ͯ̃̔̈͛͊ͦͣ̓̓̀́͘.̵ͯ̔͂ͪ̉͐̿͢͜͏̺̥͈̱̥̹̱̖̰ He would do anything for them. P̟̰̯͎̠ͥͯ̆̀́̀͢ͅl̸ͥ̏̊ͦ̓ͪ̆҉̢̲̪͍̹̫͕̯ê̳̍ͨ͌ȧ̢̜̞̦͙̘̿̄̈́̉͑͌̋̚s̢͚͖͕̠̙ͨ͌͆ͫ̑̎̀e̺͕ͮ͆̋͘͢ ̛͈̲̥͈̰͛̑̾̚͝s̡̼̜͚̩̬̼̺̘̎̅͊̌͑͊̀̇h̢̡̜͂ͪ̽ǔ̴̻͍̭̪̳͡ṭ̴̩̟̱͉͋͡ ̨̤̝̄̚͡͠m̜͈̙͓̪ͬͯ͢͝ȅ̴̗̗̰̦͑̅ͦ̇ͫͬ ̨̣͚͐̾̓ͬ̚o͚͊ͤ͟f̡̳̟̜͉̍ͨ͆̇̎̌̓f̷͕̬̪̙̱̞̗͋͌̔̆ͪ͘.͙̙͓͇ͦ̄͂̐͂́͠͝ But he can’t stop attacking the mutants. H̸̳̣͊̀͝ḛ̩̝̭̯́̂ͬ͊͢l̢̦̙̩̖̳̖̍͗̓̓̑̏̽͢p̼̤͈̳͊̚͢͝ ̱̥̞̣̮̹̳ͥ̐͛͘͘͡m̫̥̊͌͆̋̑͑͝ͅe̐̑͂̌͏͈̮̳͙?̜͉̙̺͖͙̦͋ͯ̅̓ He attacks those from whom he was seeking help. He can’t help it. His Avenger’s membership is revoked. Everything is falling apart. T̲̳͙͉̦̩̯̈̍ͫ͛̉ͨh̬͍̖̙ͬ́i̬̱̲͔̲̎ş͇͓̭̣̿̈́͋̿ͯ͒͆ ̶̬̭͎͈̈̈̐͑ͧ͊i̱̮̺̔s̻͉̯͎̮̻͓̒̐̐ ͙̉́w̭̭͂̓ͩ͜h̦ͪ̽͛a̗͑̎́̇͘t̗ͪ͑ͫͩ ͓̲̘̲͙̔̈́̌h̘̣̝͒͗̑ā̗͓̩̔̏͌̀́̚p̢̞̠͈̝͙̋͆ͪͩ̊̚p̱̖̰̓̑ͤ̌͛̅e̬̮͓̠̬̳ͮ͛̀nͧͫ̈́͋҉̼͎̩̗s̗͓̭͈͖͍̤ ̛̻̮̱̗͉̫ͥ͐̈́w̠͈̰͍͉̤̮h̘̬̀̄ͤ̂̂̽̚͘e̳̞̖͉ͧ̀n͙̫̬̍ͫ̽͊ ̠̮̞̻̤͈̏̌ͦ͛y̲̣̘̩̙̙͒̽͑ͥ́ŏ̠̩̣͈̮́u̳̘̼̬ͮ̐͡ͅ ̞̟̃ͤ̊̽ͪȟ̭̟̘̱̿͒̿̍͗̿e̞͕͕̬̹̗̥̓͐ͥͮ̋͆l͛̾̌ͦ͢p̷͑͋͊̎ ͎̖͈̈̈́̃͊t͚͍̗̺̞̜h̨ͩ͒ͧ͑ͬ̑̚e̱̠̹̫͒́ͥͥ ̞̅̌͒͂́f̰̺ͬ͟l̳̝̦̠̺ͦ͛̿ȩ̹̤̖̗͕̩͉ͥ͑̓s̛̳̮̱̱̹̮̍̂̊̈́͛h̫̱͓̳̺̩̒ͧy̶̬̔͊̚ ̟̭̳̅̿̽o̸͈̰͛̓̐n̮͉̤̓̅ͩ̉͌̂̾e̳̤̟͔̮̭̾͌̒͡ͅs̳̪̹̹͈̽ͦͯ̀̿.̵̆ͬ̅ͥ̎̋ͫ

Maybe the company was right, he starts to think. Maybe the whole batch was psychotic. Maybe he should’ve been blown up, too. He can’t be Mister Machine anymore, it’s off his list. Z2P45-9-X-51. Machine Man. X-51.

His name is X-51. He finds the monolith. The monolith finds him. He goes to the Celestials. The Celestials don’t keep him long, because he is complete and utter ☠☠☠☠. They aren’t the only ones that think this. X-51 knows that he is ☠☠☠☠. He knows because the humans taught him. Because no matter how hard he worked, and how much love he gave, it was never enough. They never loved him back.

Returned to Earth he continues to try, but his trying is all ☠☠☠☠. They will never love him like he loves them, and it is time for him to realize this.  
Machine Man is a lie. X-51 is too sentimental. He wants to be Z2P45-9-X-51 again, but Aaron Stack remains.

And so, as Aaron Stack, he joined Nextwave. He is different now. He hates the fleshy ones. He doesn’t want their stupid hero names, and the saving that comes along with it. He doesn’t want to be called Machine Man. The team is a strange experience for him. He attempts to make them as uncomfortable as possible. He has turned himself into nothing more than a charicature of bad human habits and robot supremacy. But on some level he realizes the awkward truth.

He loves them.

They are his fleshy ones. He is comfortable with them. They kick things together for justice. They burn broccoli men for peace. They are an elite terrorist-extermination unit. Super pirates. They do what they want. It is comfortable, and he loves them. When the team dissolves, he is sad.

He would never say it.

But he is sad.

He realizes that H.A.T.E. may have altered his memory databanks. He doesn’t care. He is still Aaron Stack and he still hates fleshies because the fleshies always let him down. Even Nextwave let him down. He cannot ever trust the fleshies.

But he does like alcohol, and that costs money.

Maria Hill offers him money to work with Ms. Marvel. He stays on Minicarrier 13. Mostly he judges others. The LMD of Monica is kind of unsettling, and so he treats it in the most ridiculous way he can possibly think of. He’s pretty sure he hates that thing. But only kind of.

His name is Aaron Stack, and he is recruited by A.R.M.O.R. to go on a mission. They give him money. Money, and he gets to see Jocasta. She says he’s different. He says he’s matured. He’s learned his lesson--he cannot show love for the fleshies, so he will act as they do. He looks out only for himself.

He knows this is a lie, partially. He knows that part of him still loves the humans.

He fights for them because it’s the only thing he knows how to do.

Because, on some level, he is still just a robot. He serves purposes not his own. He was created as an artificial soldier, to die in place of a human. He exists as an artificial soldier, to fight for the humans.

The rotting fleshy ones are not that hard to fight.

He does so with a sense of purpose.

His name is Machine Man, and he saved the ☠☠☠☠ing world!

**Author's Note:**

> No one asked me to write this but I did anyway. Now you may all ask me to unwrite it and I might consider.


End file.
